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07 - SEP 13 OCT 4/10 - Economist/Interv.

The McCann case - The plot thickens

The latest developments
in the disappearance of a three-year-old

The Economist - 13.09.2007

THERE is not much that
fascinates the great British public more than a juicy “whodunnit”,
especially where the victim is a beautiful blonde child. Photographs
of little Madeleine McCann have scarcely left the front pages of the
British press since she disappeared on May 3rd from the holiday
apartment rented by her parents in Portugal's Algarve. Her distraught
parents, both doctors, won praise for their energetic and dignified
campaign to keep their daughter in the public eye in the hope that
she would soon be found.

But three months later,
in an extraordinary twist, Kate and Gerry McCann have become the main
suspects in what appears to be developing into a murder inquiry.
Nothing has yet been made explicit. And so far, the couple remain
simply “arguidos”, or formal suspects. Yet the Portuguese press
has been stuffed with speculation and tip-offs from anonymous police
sources.

While gleefully repeating
it all the next day, the British media has been scathing about almost
every aspect of the Portuguese system, from its supposedly bungling
police to the vagaries of its criminal code. Some of the criticism,
such as the failure to seal the crime scene promptly, seems
justified. But other complaints, including the police's failure to
keep Madeleine's parents and the press sufficiently informed, appear
to arise from a misunderstanding of the differences between Britain's
common-law system and Portugal's quite distinct civil-law tradition.

In Britain, details of an
investigation can be reported usually until someone is charged.
Thereafter, a virtual gag is imposed on the press until the case
comes to trial. In Portugal, it is the other way round. Nothing about
a criminal investigation is supposed to be reported until charges are
brought (though leaks ensured acres of coverage in the Portuguese
press).On se demande quelles fuites au juste. D'où provenait ce qui a fuité et en fait ne valait rien ? This is a two-step procedure, starting with the naming of
official suspects, which requires relatively little evidence, before
progressing to a formal indictment if more conclusively damning
evidence is found.

In the McCanns' case,
this stage has not yet been reached. A 1,000-page dossier has been
handed by the prosecutor supervising the case to a judge, not to ask
whether charges should be brought—the prosecutor takes that
decision—but rather to ask for his permission either to make an
arrest (Kate McCann appears to be the main suspect), or to carry out
some special procedure.

The McCanns, now back in
England, have promised to return to Portugal if they are wanted for
further questioning. They might have other ideas if they are actually
faced with arrest and prison. But Portugal could issue a European
arrest warrant—a fast-track extradition process requiring no hard
evidence of guilt. Although the couple could contest it, legal
experts think it unlikely they would succeed. Whatever now happens,
Madeleine will not yet fade from public view.

Interview MC for the
Leicester Mercury

04.10.2007

Lee Marlow : Thanks for
coming in and agreeing to speak to us today.

Gerald MC : We just want
to say thank you. That's the reason we are here. This cheque - I
haven't opened it yet, but £57,000 - it's a huge amount. Both Kate
and I would like to say a big, sincere thank you to everyone in
Rothley and Leicestershire who has been so supportive. It means a lot
to us. (1)

LM : How will the money
be used - do you know yet? (2)

GMC : We're in the
process of looking into which specific areas we need to use this
fund. We are about to start a widespread campaign so I can assure you
it will be put to very good use. We want to increase awareness, get
back to basics if you like. Target specific areas with pictures and
billboards and messages. We want to refocus the coverage. (3)

Kate MC : The coverage
has been on us. The coverage should be on Madeleine, no-one else.

GMC : But it's important
for us to do this: to say a big thank you to the people who have
backed us. Their support has been tremendous. It's more than just
family, friends and neighbours. Today, I received a letter from the
chaplain at Glenfield Hospital. Every Friday they have a vigil at the
hospital. It started during the first week of Madeleine's
disappearance and they are still holding them now, every Friday
lunchtime. I've not been anywhere near Glenfield Hospital - but
they're still there, still praying for us. That touches me. It keeps
me going. Despite everything that has been written, we're still
receiving many messages of support. All the letters we have received
have been positive.

LM : How much mail have you
received?

GMC : We've been getting
three big crates of mail every day. It's so much we have to collect
it from the post office. We didn't think it was fair on our post
lady. It's tailed off slightly, but we're still receiving a big box
of letters every day. It's incredible.

KMC : And the flowers, so
many flowers. People have been so kind - it has made coming home a
lot easier.

LM : What has been your lowest
point during all of this?

KMC : I don't think there
has been one, particular low moment. Obviously, nothing can compare
with the night Madeleine went missing. A lot has happened since then.
Sometimes, the most trivial of things can bring you crashing down.

GMC : I think when we
were made suspects in our own daughter's disappearance; when the
inference was that Madeleine was dead and that, somehow, we were
involved... But, no, it can't get worse than that first night.

KMC : Nothing has been
worse than that.

GMC : Everything that
has happened, everything we do and feel, it is all put into
perspective by how we felt on that first night.

LM : How do you keep going?

KMC : Something carries
you through. We have Sean and Amelie of course. We are there for
them. And we still have hope. The messages of support; friends and
family rallying round. You just can't overestimate what those
messages of support have meant for us. They have kept us going on low
days, kept us strong during the worst times. I've had days when if I
wasn't crying about Madeleine, I was crying from the letters and
messages people have sent to us. It has helped so much.

LM : How are Sean and Amelie?

KMC : It didn't take them
long to settle back. It's familiar for them at home, they have their
toys, they know where things are. They're back in nursery, they play
so well together. They miss their big sister.

LM : Do they ask about
Madeleine?

GMC : They do.

LM : What do you tell them?

KMC : We tell them that
she is missing and that everyone is looking for her. And that's the
truth.

GMC : They don't dwell
on it. They miss her - but they are not tormented by it. Time means
nothing to them at their age. They have no comprehension of when
things have happened. They're happy with themselves.

LM : Going back to the night
Madeleine disappeared, how and when did you decide that you needed to
involve the media?

GMC : We didn't. On that
Friday night, we came out of the police station and there were 150
reporters there. We had a quick decision to make. What do we do here?
Do we ask the media for help or do we hide? (4)

LM : Were you receiving
professional advice at that time?

GMC : We had the media
liaison officer from the Mark Warner resort (5) He helped us a lot.

LM : How did you feel about
the publicity which quickly surrounded you?

KMC : The publicity was
secondary, it really was. At first, I don't think it touched us.
There can't be many people left in Leicestershire - or anywhere else
for that matter - who don't know who you are.

LM : How does that feel for
you?

GMC : "It's weird,
very strange. We have had to rely on our friends and family. Our
neighbours have been so good. They've been incredibly understanding.
They have been there for us, in very testing times. There has been a
huge media presence in Rothley. Yesterday was the first day that we
could look out of our windows and not be greeted by a crowd of
photographers.

GMC says he'd prefer
not to answer questions about the media. (6)

LM : What are you doing now?
What do you plan to do?

GMC : "We want to
get back to basics. Timing is the issue. We are looking now at what
is the most effective thing we can do in our search for Madeleine.The
legal side has taken priority. We want to change that and refocus the
attention on to finding Madeleine.

LM : When were you aware of
the green and yellow Madeleine bands?

GMC : It must have been
quite early on. When did they start? I don't know.

KMC : Time passed by so
surreally. It was the first few hours, then eight hours, then 24
hours, 48 hours, then 72 hours... I don't remember. Each day felt
like a week.

LM : What can you say about
the legal side? It's been widely reported that Portuguese Inspector
Goncalo Amaral has been relieved of his duties...

GMC : We can't comment
on that. We want to emphasise enough our thanks, to the people of
Leicestershire who helped to raise this money and for the support we
have received. It's just so uplifting. A few nights ago, we had a
curry with some friends.

KMC : It was just a
takeaway, we weren't out having a meal.

GMC : And the waiters in
the restaurant, the staff - they were so good. I went to the dump to
throw some things away. Even there, people came up and said: 'I hope
everything works out all right for you'. These were just ordinary,
everyday people - people I didn't know, people going about their
business - taking time out to pass on their best wishes.

KMC : We can be out in
the car and people will put their thumbs up. It's a simple thing, but
we take great comfort from that.

LM : Have any of your patients
been in touch?

KMC : Yes, lots of them.
That means a lot.

LM : When do you plan to
return to work?

GMC : I did think about
going back to work in some capacity - but that all changed when we
were declared arguidos (suspects). That has put things back a bit. I
won't be changing careers, let's say. The hospital has been
incredibly supportive.

KMC : There are so many
people to thank - the primary schools, Bishop Ellis Primary School in
Thurmaston; Rothley Primary School; the local police - they have been
excellent, so pleasant. Our local church. It's a five-minute walk
from our house. They have been saying prayers continually. In fact,
people from all faiths have been praying. We have had support from
the Anglican church; from the Baptist church. They were planning to
come together, I have heard - but I think that maybe this forced them
to do it a bit quicker than they planned."

LM : When do you expect life
to return to any kind of normality?

GMC : Well, today is the
first day there are no photographers outside our house.

KMC : There is a
semblance of normality returning. It's more normal than it was three
weeks ago, Amelie and Sean see to that. But really how can it be
normal? How can it be normal without Madeleine?